Section 1: Introduction/Global Health 101
The Center for Global Health thanks Ashti Doobay-Persaud, MD from the Section of Global Health in the Division of Hospital Medicine for compiling the information in this curriculum. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dr. Doobay-Persaud.
This section provides a “GH 101” course: an introduction to recurrent themes, jargon and ongoing challenges to delivering quality care. Content includes best practices in global health and how to avoid doing harm. Medical clinicians recognize the necessity of balancing conflicting risks and benefits before making the “best” decision: this balance holds true for organizations and their structure as well. As you participate in global health, you need to be able to critically evaluate the services the organization provides and your role in it. It is important to approach many overseas rotations as experiences and to acknowledge that you will likely “get” much more than you “give”.
*Apple users should use Safari on any modules that are from Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC)
- MODULE 1: Gold Standards for Global Health Practice
This module succinctly summarizes an approach to Global Health that is both mindful and sustainable. These principles are applicable to global health students receiving training in the field and at home. It is highly recommended that this entire module be read and reviewed frequently. - MODULE 2: Significant Harm of Worst Practices
As ambassadors of our profession, institution, and country we should be promoting and practicing best principles. The belief that a little is better than nothing is an absolute falsehood in delivery of clinical care. Significant harm can occur with this as a guiding principle: remember primum non nocere. Given the challenge of educating participants prior to departing, it is useful to start with this module and, like the prior module, the examples really help in conceiving the principles. - MODULE 3: Ethical, Quality Volunteering
This is a nice short way to sum up what benefit we can provide. It is best to approach your first trips as an anthropologist and a general observer to determine how volunteers can make an impact.
Reading is recommended but not required. - MODULE 4: Pitfalls in Volunteering
- MODULE 5: Global Burden of Disease
These are 2 links to the WHO site to provide the basics about the global burden of disease with information that any global health provider should know. Attention should be paid to the burden of noncommumnicable (cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes) to the burden of global disease. These diseases share all the same risk factors — tobacco, alcohol, physical inactivity and unhealthy diets. Click here for further details and information.- Top 10 Causese of Death Worldwide - This is stratified by income group and is set up as a table.
- Major Causes of Death - Set up as an FAQ for the previous table. It is a shortlist of basic data.
- Module 6: Impact of Social and Cultural Factors on Health
This lecture examines approaches to understanding behavior and how that can shape our approach to health care delivery. This presentation has about 100 slides which is daunting, however this information is crucial for cultural competency. Must read slides are listed below. We recommend at reading at least the first 15 slides, using the first slide as a reference on the different approaches. We’ll examine both a socially based approach and a disease centered approach, ultimately focusing on a multi-faceted approach.
Some cases are presented to facilitate your understanding of this approach.
Please go to slides 21 and 28 for cases as well as slide 55 once you have finished the module.
Slides 47-53 are recommended as part of cultural competency. - Module 7: Nutrition in Global Health
This is a very comprehensive module on a very broad and crucial topic. If you are working within an infrastructure that provides comprehensive and continuity care, a healthcare provider may be able to intervene both as a health educator and clinician.
Required reading would be from slide 1 through 70. As you will see, the lecture is structured with 6 objectives. I recommend focusing on Objective 3 – Top 6 Nutrition Problems And Their Solutions, which is practical.
Objective#4 concerns the identification of vulnerable populations and pays particular attention to prenatal/childhood nutrition, which is also covered in the next module and segues into the following two modules that focus on child health. It is important to note that women and the elderly are also particularly susceptible to under nutrition and malnutrition. - Module 8: Child Health
- Child Health - Overview and Strategy for Improvement
We have included this in GH 101 as children represent the most vulnerable population from a biological and social perspective. Additionally, they represent a high percentage of the global burden of disease – (WHO link). There are two modules included in this section. The first gives an overview of child health, epidemiology and diseases. For the first lecture, please read slides 1-13. Every global health physician should know these facts.
Slide 17 has a pop quiz, please read at least up to slide 32. The next part of the lecture deals with an integrated care delivery system called IMCI. Please read slides 37 and 38 for the components of IMCI and the case presentation and from there to the end which is slide 44. - Child Health - Interventions to Prevent and Combat Main Causes of Child Mortality
This lecture begins with an overview of module seven and eight (Slides 1-10.) Slides 11-34 address micronutrient deficiencies, their consequences and strategies for prevention. The subsequent slides provide interventions to combat the leading causes of childhood mortality including neonatal mortality. There is a lot of material in this section, please be sure to read the quiz which is on slide 103 with answers on the following slides that provide a good summary.
Many countries provide Vit A, zinc , iron and anti-helminthics on a school schedule and regular immunizations. Despite these provisions many populations may not have access or education regarding these interventions.
- Child Health - Overview and Strategy for Improvement
- Module 9: Reproductive Health
- Reproductive Health - Introduction to Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood
Slides 1-9 provide a general overview of reproductive health and its definition. Slides 10-40 are definitions and statistics on global indicators of reproductive health which are valuable to understand measures of the burden of disease you are treating. Important slides for review are: 17 &18-life expectancy and worldwide variation; 14-causes of neonatal mortality; and 36 & 40-maternal mortality and prevention. - Family Planning, Unsafe Abortion, STI's, and Gender-Based Violence
This second lecture addresses family planning, STIS, HIV and Gender- Based Violence in the context of the developing world. Knowledge of the local prevalence and approach to these problems should be addressed with the director of your program. Ask your hosts to explain how these interview topics should be addressed and what the language and customs surrounding these issues. If you are male or a foreigner or both, it may be customary for a local provider or a trusted local foreign physician to approach these sensitive topics.
- Reproductive Health - Introduction to Reproductive Health and Safe Motherhood
- Module 10: Training Community Healthworkers (CHWs)
You will likely be asked to give an educational lecture or presentation on your specialty or on primary prevention either to the community or local health care workers. In most experiences you are likely asked to do both and sometimes supervise students training CHW. This lecture gives an overview of strategies and guidelines for training.
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This page last updated Feb 17, 2012